Tapuwae Roa

Professor Rawinia Higgins (Tūhoe) PFHEA, FRSNZ, MNZM is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori and Kaitiakitanga at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

She is currently the Chair and Commissioner of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori—The Māori Language Commission and is the first woman to be appointed to this position. She was also elected as a Pacific Region representative on the Global Taskforce for the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages.

Professor Higgins has been appointed to several governance and advisory board roles for government, Māori and iwi, including a member of the Waitangi Tribunal 2011 to 2025, and a Board member of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand 2022 -2025.

Her research expertise is Māori language revitalisation and, more specifically, language planning and policy. She was instrumental in shaping the current Māori language legislation and policy framework.

She has also been awarded an MNZM (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit) in the 2025 New Year's Honours List in recognition of her services to Māori language, education and governance.

What an inspiring voice to add to our Amorangi 2026 lineup 🔥

Don't miss out, secure your tix today!

🎟️ FINAL DAYS TO SECURE second-release tix only $219 incl. GST
💻 Online livestream tickets still only $69 incl. GST

Secure yours now at: www.maorigovernance.co.nz/summit

Introducing another of our Tupu Accelerator cohort, Ako Insight.

Co-founded by Ashleigh Heke and Pati Lafaialii, Ako Insight is a curriculum‑aligned planning platform that helps kaiako create consistent, high‑quality learning plans with less workload.

It brings progressions, templates, and team visibility into one simple, culturally grounded system built for Aotearoa.

"Many kaiako spend hours creating plans, searching for resources, and trying to track what students have learned, often across multiple disconnected tools. This leads to inconsistent planning, duplicated work, and limited visibility of progressions across a team or school," says co-founder Ashleigh Heke.

"Ako Insight brings everything into one place, giving teachers a simple, structured system that saves time, improves clarity, and supports more confident, culturally responsive teaching," says Heke.

Keen to hear from more Māori innovators like Ako Insight? Join us on 2 July for the Tupu Accelerator Showcase 2026!

🎟️ Earlybird tickets from $150+GST close on 12 June— secure your spot and be part of shaping the future Māori economy!

🔗 https://tupu.org.nz/showcase/